Apparatus for handling freight



Jan. 31, 1928.

B. F. FITCH "APPARATUS FOR HANDLING FREIGHT Filed Nov. 4, 1:925 2 Sheets-Sheet l gwuzntoz Jan. 31, 1928. 1,657,618

B. F. FITCH APPARATUS FOR HANDLING FREIGHT Filed Now-4, 1925 2 Shets-Shee. 2

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album Patented Jan. 31, 1928.

BENJAMIN F. FITCH. 013 YORK, N. Y.

AZPPARAT'US FOR HANDLING FIR-EIGHT.

Application filed November 4,1926. Serial No. 146,124.

This invention relates to apparatus for handling freight which is stored in containers comprising removable automobile bodies. The weight of a removable automobile body when loaded with freight is such that an overhead crane has been regarded as necessary for transferring the body between a truck and a platform. An overhead crane, however, is not adapted for use in every location, but in some places an industrial power lift truck may be employed to good advantage. A truck of this nature is illustrated, described andclaimed in my copcnding application, Serial No. 122,310,.

filed July lt, 1926. i

Briefly the industrial truck shown in my copending application includes a pair of arms which are arranged to extend along opposite sides of a removable truck body and also includes mechanism for raising the body a slight distance from its support, and then transporting it to any desired place on the platform, or to a truck alongside the platform. here a truck pit is disposed alongside a platform, then provision may be made for enabling the arms of the industrial truck to emend alongside the body, raise it and remove it from a truck positioned in the .pit. The installation of truck pits, however, not only necessitates considerable expense, but also is impractical in certain places. Moreover, the use of truck pits necessitates considerable skill by a truck opera: tor to manipulate a truck so as to position it properly within the pit.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide means for expediting the transfer of a body between a truck and platform by use of an industrial truck which straddles the load, without necessitating the construction of truck pits alongside the platform. In this connection my invention is directed toward the provision of means which may be moved relatively to the platform so as to provide a shiftable trackway for the industrial truclgand thus to obviate the necessity for backing the truck at an exact angle with reference to the edge of the platform.

A further object of the present invention contemplates the provision of shiftable traclrways which can be readily moved by hand and adjusted to suit various positions of a truck with reference to the platform, yet which has sufficient mechanical strength to SLEJPOIT a loaded body upon an industrial true The preferred meansv for carrying out my invention as illustrated in the drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is a plan view showing a platform layout including my invention; and Figs. 2 and 3 are sections taken on planes indicated by the correspondingly numbered lines in Fig. 1.

In Fig. 1, I have illustrated a freight platform 10 as having a set of railway tracks 11 extending along one side thereof, and as having a street or truck runway 12 extend ing along one end thereof. The runway has sul'licient width to permit amotor truck indicated at 18, to back against the end of the platform, without interfering materially with the normal flow of tral'lic along the street. The truck illustrated has a removable body 14: adapted to be transferred from the truck to the platform in the usual way. Uther removable bodies are indicated at 15 upon the platform adjacent a railway c: r 16, and in suchposition that freight may be readily transported by hand between the bodies and the car. 'A power lift industrial truclr, illustrated in general at 20, is shown on the platform near the motor truck, and as being in position to be moved into engagement with the body for raising it from the truck and'depositing it upon the platform.

"The truck shown in Fig. 1 is disposed at an oblique angle with reference to the platform edge, and in order therefore to permit the arms 21 on the truck to eXtend alongside of and in close engagement with the body, I provide portable trackways which normally stand in the truck runway, but are adapted to be moved by hand in close proximity to the sides of the motor truck, and against the edge of the platform. In Fig. 1, a pair of such shiftable trackways are indicated at 22 adjacent the truck, while another pair indicated at 22 are disposed between the truck and the railway tracks. This last mentioned pair are in position to be shifted to accomniodatc another motor truck which may arrive at the platform.

Each shiftable trackway in the preferred form, embodies a carriage or table which is a fabricated construction having top and bottom plates 2-7 and 28 respectively, which 7 are connected at spaced intervals by vertically extending angle beams 26 and are reinforced in one direction by diagonal braces 17 and in another direction by diagonal braces The upper plate provides a smooth trackway for the industrial truck, while the lower plate supports bearing blocks 29 in which the casters are journalled.

To permit close contact to be made be tween the end of each traclnvay and. the platform, I. have shown each lrackway as having, an apron 30 which is hinged at ill to the top plate. Each apron may be horn-rally carried on the trackway in the position shown by the broken lines 30" in Fig. 1:3. but is adapted to be swung: to the full line position for bridging the intervening space between the end of the tracki'ay and the edge of the platform. These trackvays may be readily shifted by hand into engagement with the side of a truck in an expeditious manner. After a truck has been brought to the platform edge, then the aprons may be swung over onto the platform. no as to provide traclqways which are substantially a corn tinuation of the platform surfaces. If desired, the trackways may be locked in any convenient manner (not shown) to the truck frame for preventing lateral shifting of the trz'icltways during the loading: and unloading operations.

By means of my invention a truck having; a loaded body thereon may be backed against the platform, while the portable traekways are spaced from the proposed unloading position of the truck, and then the trackways may be readily shifted by hand alongside the truck. The industrial truck may then be moved over the traclnvays into engagement with the load and then caused to raise the load and travel with it onto the platform, whereupon another industrial truck may deposit another body upon the motor truck. The motor truck may thus arrive at the platform, transfer the load and then depart within a minimum period of tune, without necessitating such careful manipulation ofxthe truck, as-would be necessary to back it into a pit. After a truck has left the platform another truck may enter the space between one trackway and another traekway 22 whereupon adjustments may he (piickly made to 2l(:('0ll1lll()- date the position of the truck. I may thus provide for the quick transfer of automobile bodies without necessitating extensive changes in platform constructhm. and without necessitating the use of overhead cranes for enabling such transfers to be made.

I claim 2.

1. In combination, a freight platform, a truck runway adjacent thereto, a pair of portable traekways positioned on the run way and adapted to be moved alongside a truck positioned on the runway, for providing an extension of the platform alone opposite sides of the truck.

2. In combination, a Freight platform, a truck runway adjacent thereto, and a pair of wheeled carriages positioned on the runway, said carriages having a width sulllcicnt to provide a substantial emitinuation of the platform along opposite sides of a truck positioned on the runway.

21. In combination, a freight platform. a truck runway extending along one edge thereof, a truck ]'Jositioned in the runway and havin gr provision for receiving a removable body, and a wheeled carriae'e positioned on the runway on each side of the truck, said carriages having a length substantially equal to the length of the truck body to provide a contiimation of the platform surface along opposite sides of the body.

4. In combination. a platform, a truck run ay associated therewith. a motor truck positioned on the runway adjacent the platform, and having: a removable body associated therewith, and means shifliablc with reference to the platform and sup mrtml on the runway, said means providing a ll'1l'l way for an industrial truck alone" oppoaiosides of eaid motor truck, for enablim: aaid body to be raised from the motor truck and transported to the platform.

In combination, a platform, a truck runway associated therewith, a motor l'rueli positioned in the runway and having: a removable body carried therein and shillable members aupported on the 1 mi 'ay, each of said members havin a portion thereof resting on the platform and providing;' a track *ay for an industrial truitk along each side of the motortruck.

6. In combination, a platform, a truck runway associated therewith, a motor truclc positioned in the runway and having a removable body carried thereby, and shiftable members supported on the runway. each of said members havin a plate hinged thereto adjacent one end thereof. aaid plates being: adapted to he HWUIHI about the hinge connection and to rest upon the platform so as to ]'n'ovide subL-uantially a continuation of the ivlatforni on each side of the track.

In testimony wheriajif. I hereunto allix my signature.

BENJAMIN F. FI'lUI-I. 

